Total Pageviews

Friday, June 27, 2014

"When she took office two month ago, Axelle Lemaire, the French Secretary of State on Digital Affairs, announced that she was going to support legislation guaranteeing net neutrality.

However, since the French Secretary met with Commissioner Kroes two week ago, her commitment to net neutrality seems to have weakened. Lemaire is now asking for “telcos to have a regulatory framework favourable to investment and competitiveness”; a statement, somehow similar, to Neelie Kroes’ speech in the Telecoms Council." 'via Blog this'

Monday, June 23, 2014

"In 2014, the outcome document of Net-Mundial in Brazil recognised the vital role of the internet to achieve the full realisation of sustainable development goals.

UN Special Rapporteurs recently affirmed that guaranteeing the free-flow of information online ensures transparency and participation in decision-making, enhancing accountability and the effectiveness of development outcomes.

Development and social inclusion relies on the internet remaining a global resource, managed in the public interest as a democratic, free and pluralistic platform.

States must promote and facilitate universal, equitable, affordable and high-quality Internet access for all people on the basis of human rights and net-neutrality, including during times of unrest." 'via Blog this'

Blog | Access: "Online protests and street demonstrations, including a massive human chain in Mexico City, raised public awareness to the threats hidden within this bill, and have had an impact: the Senate’s vote was expected for late April, yet public pressure against the bill postponed the debate to a special session of Congress expected sometime during the next few weeks. " 'via Blog this'

Friday, June 13, 2014

EU Member States Remain Divided Over Net Neutrality, Mobile Fees, Spectrum Policy | Bloomberg BNA: "“The only consensus on the issue of net neutrality was the support for the need for a definition that will be clear and viable for the long-term,” said the council official. “For example, the definitions of Internet access service and specialized services as outlined in the European Commission proposal need to be clarified. “While member states agree that there is a need to get the right balance between net neutrality and reasonable traffic management, they have different views on how to achieve it and therefore there is no consensus on the underlying principles.”

In advance of the meeting in Luxembourg, telecom companies and as well as the information-technology trade association Digital Europe, which includes companies such as Microsoft Corp. and Apple Inc., insisted that traffic management—including offering specialized services at higher speeds—wasn't an “either/or” proposition." 'via Blog this'

Monday, June 09, 2014

Net Neutrality and Modern Memory | AT&T Public Policy Blog: "The plain language of Title II provides no basis to prohibit paid prioritization. Quite the contrary, Title II actually allows and could protect any such practice. By its terms, Section 202(a) of the Communications Act prohibits “unjust or unreasonable discrimination”, not “all” discrimination. Eighty years of FCC precedent and case law make clear that so long as a common carrier offers a service to similarly situated buyers on similar rates, terms and conditions, those practices, including a hypothetical “paid prioritization” service, would satisfy Section 202 (a). In fact, the FCC would likely conclude such a practice involved no discrimination whatsoever under Title II. We know, for example, that under Title II a common carrier can provide, among other things, prioritized installation and repair, different quality of service levels, and term and volume discounts. Differentiated terms of service aren’t the exception under Title II, they are the norm. That framework, dating back to 1934, sure seems unsuited to protecting the proverbial “guy in the garage” inventing a 21st century service. " 'via Blog this'